On Sun, 2 Jul 2006, Robert Klemme wrote:

> There's a significant difference between GCC and the JVM for example: VM's
> can collect performance data while the application is running whereas GCC
> has to optimize at compile time. This yields advantages for the VM approach
> because it can better target optimizations.  Depending on application
> performance of a Java app doesn't differ significantly from a C app but the
> programming model is more convenient, more robust and thus more efficient.
>
> Kind regards
>
> robert

how is this performance data available significantly different from that made
transparent by gcc/gprof/gdb/dmalloc/etc - gcc can encode plenty of
information for tools like these to dump reams of info at runtime.  or are you
referring to a vm's ability to actually adapt the runtime code?  if so then it
seems like even compiled languages can accomplish this if the language is a
first class data type and the code segment can be manipulated as data

   http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:mNkjHYGIbE4J:tratt.net/laurie/research/publications/papers/tratt__compile-time_meta-programming_in_a_dynamically_typed_oo_language.pdf+lisp+compiled+metaprogramming&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

is an interesting read.  if one accepts that compile time metaprogamming is
useful that it's a small leap to execute compile time metaprogramming to
enhance performance based on runtime characteristics.  but maybe i'm way off
base here...

kind regards.

-a
-- 
suffering increases your inner strength.  also, the wishing for suffering
makes the suffering disappear.
- h.h. the 14th dali lama